Bad Boy
by unshakespearean
Summary: Teenage Torchwood! When long coat and suspenders clad, drop-dead gorgeous "bad-boy" Jack Harkness arrives at the Torchwood Preparatory Institute, everything changes. Is Gwen Cooper ready? Eventual Harcooper and Towen, and epic Janto bromance. Rated T for language and, well, Jack as a teenager.
1. The New Kid

**Chapter One: The New Kid**

_Jack's POV_

I open the door to the office of the headmistress of my the Torchwood Preparatory Institute, a.k.a. My New School. And I'm nervous. I have never been nervous before in my life.

"You must be Jack," the headmistress, a relatively pretty brunette says. "I'm Ms. Sladen."

"Yeah… hi," I say. _Come on, Jack, stop being nervous. What's the worst that can happen?_

"It's very nice to meet you," she smiles. She's friendly. I can already tell that. "But you aren't in uniform."

I hate school uniforms with a passion. "I forgot about that," I lie quickly.

"We have extra uniforms in the nurse's office," she replies, clearly having bought my fib. "Why don't we go down there? You should meet Ms. Pond anyway."

Okay, how to get out of this… "Oh, do I have to?" I sort-of-but-not-quite-whine. "It's my first day, I swear I won't do it again… Besides… I think I look pretty good in this, no?" I grin cheekily. Another thing about me: I know _exactly _how good-looking I am, partly because people tend to stare at me when I walk by, partly because people tell me so, and partly because I've looked at myself in a mirror, and I'm not too good a person to use that to my advantage. Some people call me a brat. They're probably right. But the day I actually give a flying fuck is never _ever _going to come.

She can't hide her smile, and in an instant I know I've won. "Okay, fine," she sighs. "But just for today. If you do it again, I _will _send you home.

"Thanks," I grin. "I swear I won't do it again."

"I certainly hope so," she half-sighs and half-smiles. "I'll walk you to your first class."

* * *

><p><em>Gwen's POV<em>

"We have a new student today," Ms. Sladen announces as she walks into the room. "This is Jack Harkness." I have to stifle a snort. This new kid might be wearing _the_ most ridiculous outfit I have ever seen in my entire life. I mean, he practically looks like a character on a TV show. I turn to my best friend, Tosh, and she too is holding back laughter. As is everyone in the class. "Yes, I know he's not in uniform," Ms. Sladen sighs. Damn right he's not. Unless someone managed to change the school rules so that jeans, suspenders, and the world's longest, stupidest, came-from-a-time-warp blue coat, the uniform. And then there's the _hat_. Hats aren't allowed in school in general, but _that_ one should be burned. "But I've made an exception, since it's his first day and he forgot." I roll my eyes. Ten quid that that's absolute total bullcrap. But from the look on Ms. Sladen's face, Mr. Hot Shot Jack Harkness managed to convince her otherwise. I wonder how for a few moments, and then I notice that Ms. Sladen is blushing ever-so-slightly.

"Oh, you have _got _to be kidding me," I mutter. Ms. Sarah Sladen is one of the most grounded and responsible people I've ever met. She doesn't take crap. And yet this ridiculous-looking, although admittedly cute, guy, has managed to get her to bend the rules.

"I don't exactly blame her," Tosh murmurs from next to me, of course knowing exactly what I'm thinking. She always does. We've been friends since kindergarten.

"Shut up," I mutter back.

"He is cute, though."

"I'm taken." And, indeed, I am. I've been with my boyfriend, Rhys, for nearly two years. I love him, he loves me, and that's the end of that. Nobody can get in the way of that, not even this Jack character. _Especially_ not this Jack character.

"Well, anyway," Ms. Sladen says quickly, "I hope you all are kind and welcoming to Jack. Have a good day." And she leaves the room, just a bit too quickly.

"There's a seat for you back there," Dr. Smith says, pointing. I decide not to look and see who his seatmate is. If I did, I wouldn't be able to focus on history, as I'd be too busy feeling sorry for that very unlucky kid.

* * *

><p><em>Jack's POV<em>

The bell rings and I quickly and quietly get up and leave, the way I have for the past five classes. I know that the other kids have holding back laughter at my sticking out like a sore thumb for the past three hours. It only bugs me a little bit, though. I have a feeling I'll make friends anyway.

I decide to say hello to the first people I see on my walk to the cafeteria. And the first people I see are two girls walking side by side. I recognize them as the ones who seemed to be the most… amused… by the whole thing. Ah well. I'm going with it.

"Hi," I say, trying to catch up with them. And then I notice exactly how pretty the girl on the left is. Solid ten. Pushing an eleven. "I'm Jack." I grin broadly.

"Uh, yeah, we know," pretty-girl says, rolling her eyes, and then they walk away.

"A gallant effort," someone says from behind me. I turn to see my seatmate. I don't know his name, but maybe he'll be nice. "But you'll _never _win them over. Gwen's taken and Tosh wishes she were by someone else."

"I was only saying hello," I argue.

"Yeah, and I have a feeling that for you, that's flirting." He grins cheekily.

"Okay, you got me," I sigh, putting my hands up. "How the hell did you know that?"

"Ms. Sladen doesn't bend rules. _Ever_. I have a feeling Gwen and Tosh know that too."

"Fuck, I shouldn't have pushed the uniform thing," I mutter. "Social suicide."

"You'll be alright," my seatmate replies. "Personally, I kind of like the getup. It's weird, but it's not that bad. Are you planning on wearing the uniform tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately." I roll my eyes. "I hate uniforms. Anyway, I don't think I caught your name." He raises an eyebrow at me. "Stop it!" I exclaim. "I don't flirt _every_-"

He laughs, cutting me off. "Your face there was _priceless_. Ianto Jones. I'm glad you came to school; I could use a friend… assuming you're… _interested_."

"Hey, now _you're_ going at it," I tease. "And sure. I'm surprised you don't have many friends. You seem nice."

"Yeah, except I usually don't talk much. Except to my sister, Martha. That's her, there." He points to a black girl talking with the two girls I saw earlier.

We walk into the cafeteria, and it's tiny, way smaller than any I've ever been in. "Okay, so who's everyone else?" I ask as we sit down at a table. "Go table by table."

"Alright." He points to the table on our left. "Over there you have Matt and Amy Smith, Amy's boyfriend Rory Darvill, and Catherine and Chris Noble. They're the funny kids of the school. If someone screws around with someone else, they're bound to be one of those five."

"Okay, what about that table over there?" I point to the one farthest from us.

"That's the genius table. Ben Watson, Irene Pulver, Spencer Gray, Derek Moore, Kirsten Garcia, Jennifer Cook, and Emily Brewster. If you want to remain confident of your own intelligence, stay away from them."

"I'll keep that in mind. And those guys? That's your sister over there, and who else?"

"Yeah, that's Martha. The one we can see best is Owen Harper, official class player. Well, one of." He shoots me a pointed look. I roll my eyes. "Anyway, next to him is Toshiko Sato, Gwen Cooper is the one you think is pretty-"

"What?!" I exclaim.

"You think she's pretty," he says matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean?" _Oh, crap_, I think.

"I mean _you think she's pretty_. And the fact that you're trying to deny it doesn't exactly help your case." He grins.

"And she's taken, you said." I sigh, both at the fact that Ianto's right yet again and that, well, she's taken.

"Yeah, that's her boyfriend next to her. Rhys."

"How long have they been together?" I ask.

"Nearly two years," he replies. My face falls. "But that doesn't mean you don't have a chance with her." Noticing my confused look, he continues, "The thing is, Rhys isn't good enough for her. He's nowhere near as smart, doesn't have much in common with her… They love each other, but I think that, if she were presented with other options, _better_ options-" he grins at me "-she _could_ leave him. I'm not saying go after her. That won't work. But we can become friends with them, and maybe, once she gets to know you better, you'll have a shot."

"You think so?" I ask hopefully.

"If you play your cards right, and you're lucky, and Rhys doesn't all of a sudden become worth her time, then, yeah, I think you have a chance. Not a very big one, but definitely one to go for. I would be careful, though. Gwen's nice, really nice, but she's got a bit of a temper and doesn't like to be annoyed."

"Think I got that one, thanks. How're we supposed to become friends with them, though?"

"Martha's nice. Pretty sure she feels sorry for you, just a bit, and she won't mind us hanging out with them. And the others are, too. We'll fit in. I'd be hanging out with them every day if it weren't for the fact that I don't like talking to people much."

"Sounds like a plan," I grin, and Ianto and I high-five. "Oh, you forgot to tell me who those three are." I point to three girls whispering to each other at the table behind us.

"Bad news," he says darkly. "Have you ever seen the movie Mean Girls?"

"Secret favorite movie," I reply, face flushing slightly. "Don't tell."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Although… I know Gwen likes that one." I roll my eyes. "Anyway, those three are legitimately real-life Plastics. It's creepy, actually, how similar they are. Clara Coleman's the dumb one-"

"The one who looks like she's eleven?" I ask, pointing to a girl with blond hair and big brown eyes who does, in fact, look eleven.

"Finally, I'm not the only one who thinks that!" Ianto laughs. "Yeah, that's her. The one with the big hair is Melody Kingston. And yes, her hair is full of secrets. And the really dark-haired one is Suzie Costello." I swear, when he says it, dramatic music plays in the background. "Official class bitch. Gossip, liar, will do anything to ruin the lives of people she doesn't like. Avoid her and her cronies like the plague."

"Got it," I nod. "Mind telling me, what earned Suzie the role of a dark-haired Regina George? Has she always been a bitch, or is there some dramatic story?"

"No, she's always been like that, and God only knows why Melody and Clara love her so much. They always have."

"Okay, one more question," I ask with a conspiratorial grin. "On Wednesdays, do they wear pink?"

Ianto laughs. "No, they don't. They actively avoid that stuff from the movie. Probably because they know everyone already thinks they're real-life Plastics."

"Makes sense," I reply. "Okay, so let me get this straight: if I avoid Suzie and company, am impressed by the geniuses, and laugh at the clowns, I'll survive, and if I keep my big ego in check, I'll _maybe _have a shot with Gwen?"

"You got it," Ianto grins. "I suppose that's it, then… Welcome to Torchwood, Jack." And we high-five once again. "God, that was _really _cheesy."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey y'alls! Here's the first chapter of Bad Boy! I think this'll be really fun. Don't worry, I'll keep updating Tales from the Hub and Flame, but I've wanted to do this ever since I saw another teenage Torchwood one with the evil phrase "Gwenbashing galore" in the description.<strong>

**I have two challenges to announce!**

**First, the CRIMINAL MINDS CHALLENGE: Watch the first episode of Criminal Minds (you can find it on Netflix). You have ONE shot to guess my favorite character, and if you do, you get a ONESHOT in your honor! The challenge ends March 1st.**

**The second challenge is to tell me who ALL the stock characters are meant to reference! If you do, you get a shoutout in the next chapter!**

**As always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	2. Day One

**Chapter Two: Day One**

_Jack's POV_

"Yes, I know it's not _actually _day one," I explain to my mom as I get into the car, dressed in the freaking school uniform that I have no choice but to wear in order to not get in trouble with the adults, or, more importantly, Gwen. My jacket's still in my backpack, though. It goes everywhere with me. End of story. "But yesterday didn't really count. It was all so different from my last school. Everything was changing, and I wasn't ready. Today, everything's _still_ changing, but I _am _ready."

"That doesn't make any sense whatsoever," Mom sighs. "But if it works for you, it works for you. I won't argue with that. I just want you to be happy, Jack. Last year was so hard for you." And it was. I was bullied all through my school last year, partly for being smart, partly for being admittedly a bit of a douchebag, but more importantly for being omnisexual, or as I like to call it, "anything-goes." I seriously don't get why people have a problem with it. It's confusing. So is sexuality. It's big and complicated and, yes, _scary as all fuck_ (no pun intended), but I figure there's no point in fighting it if it is what it is.

"I told you, I'm ready," I grin. "This is going to be a great year. I already have a friend, one who has no problem with me, and I have a feeling I'll make tons more, honestly."

"I certainly hope so," she sighs. As usual, I feel legitimately bad for her. The number of phone calls she's made, emails she's sent, nights she's spent awake because of my shit, it's enough to earn her the mother of the year award for all of eternity. And she never complains. Ever. She doesn't get mad at me, doesn't blame me for it, just talks me through it and hugs me and makes the best fucking cookies this world has ever seen. Even the fact that my dad ran off with some girl when I was five doesn't faze her. She's my rock and angel and I know I can count on her. Most moms aren't like that.

We pull up into the school parking lot and I jump out, waving goodbye to Mom as I pull on my backpack and head inside. She doesn't roll down the window or do something else equally embarrassing - just _another _thing that makes her the best mom ever.

"Hey, Jack." I turn in shock to see Ianto standing next to me.

"How the hell did you get there?!" I exclaim. "There was nobody behind me, I swear." He shrugs. Clearly I'd better get used to this guy moving like a shadow. "Whatever."

"Did you get the chemistry homework at all?" he asks.

I roll my eyes. "Are you telling me you scared the shit out of me just to ask about the fucking homework?"

"I'll take that as a no," he says, and he just walks right past me.

"Okay, how the _hell _do you do that?" I run to catch up with him.

"Do what?" he asks innocently.

"Know exactly what I'm thinking and all that. You're practically psychic."

"You were staring at her," he says simply.

"What?"

"Gwen. You were staring at her when I came up to you. Took you a second to register I was there. Most people would've been shocked or freaked out, but you weren't, because you were preoccupied by staring at Gwen. That's how I knew you liked her. How I know you were thinking about that when you called me psychic, I'll never tell. Ruins the fun."

"I fucking _hate _you," I mutter.

"No, you appreciate the fact that I understand you, something few people do, although it gets annoying." He shoots me this triumphant smirk that makes me want to punch him in the face. "Anyway, the chemistry homework. I have a free block first. I'd ask if you did too, but you just smiled, and now you're glaring at me, which means you obviously do. I was able to get everything done last night, except the chemistry…" He pauses and studies my face. I try to keep it completely flat. "Nice try. We're on the same page, then."

"I swear, Ianto, you're driving me nuts," I mutter.

"I swear, Jack, you'd better get used to it," he replies without missing a beat. "So we'll try to figure out chemistry during our free block?"

"Sure," I sigh. "By the way, can I have your number?" He raises an eyebrow at me, and this time I'm the one who knows what he's thinking. "I swear to God I will fucking _kill _you," I mutter.

"You're gullible," he laughs.

"You were faking-"

"-maybe…" He clearly is enjoying himself. "Give me your phone," he says, and he plugs in his number. "Friends only, you got that?"

"You know full well-" but he points to a spot behind me. I turn and _of course_ Gwen and Tosh have to be walking by. And sweet holy God, Gwen looks so damn cute, her dark hair contrasting perfectly with her pale face, just brushing the collar of her dark green sweater that I noticed yesterday brings out her eyes… I could go on for an hour at least. Anyway, I give Ianto a glare and the finger and then we walk in together without another word.

* * *

><p><em>Gwen's POV<em>

I walk into second-period English class and sit down, pulling out my copy of _Romeo and Juliet_ with a great big smile on my face, the way I always do when I have English. It's my favorite subject, and my teacher, Miss Piper, is pretty much the best teacher ever.

"Hey… um... can I sit here?" I look up to see that new kid, Jack, with a sort of shy expression on his face and - thank god - in uniform. He seems legitimately nervous, like for some reason I'd turn him down and force him to sit somewhere else.

I feel a tap on my arm and turn to my left to see Tosh, pointing at a piece of paper. On it she's written _Well, you did sort of push him away yesterday. Cut him some slack. He is new after all_. And I did push him away. I feel a bit bad about it. I'm usually nicer than that.

I look up to see that he's looking over at Miss Piper, clearly having not seen Tosh's note. _He turned away on purpose_, I realize, and that's enough to get me to be nice. "Yeah, sure," I say, and he sits down next to me.

"Thanks," he says, and once again he seems incredibly grateful.

"We have a new student today," Miss Piper starts, but then there's a knock at the door.

"Oh, here we go again," I mutter, because I and the rest of the class know full well that it's Dr. Smith, come again for his usual attempt at flirting with our (admittedly pretty) teacher.

"What?" Jack asks quietly.

"You'll see," I sigh.

"Don't you have class?" Miss Piper asks exasperatedly.

"Well…" he starts, and she shuts the door in his face, rolling her eyes as he walks away with a downtrodden pout on his face. Someone in the back - probably Amy or perhaps Chris - begins clapping. I can't help but join in along with the others.

"ANYWAY," Miss Piper doesn't quite shout over our applause, effectively shutting us up. "We have a new student today. Jack?"

"Yeah… um… hi…" he stammers, looking around the room, and then I realize why he's so nervous. I started at Torchwood when I was four along with Tosh and everyone else in our year, and Jack's, what, fifteen? Sixteen? We've all known each other for over a _decade_, and he's just meeting us now! No wonder he's scared! And I sure as hell didn't help by being so mean yesterday… Oh, God, it must've been so hard to ask if he could sit next to me even though it was basically the only seat left. _I screwed up yesterday, big-time_, I think. _I have to fix it_. I look over at Tosh and she gives me a reassuring smile, clearly saying _You can do it_.

"Jack, we're reading _Romeo and Juliet_. Do you have a copy?" Miss Piper gives him a warm smile - at least she'll give him a good first impression.

"Um… it hasn't come yet. My mom and I ordered it online but it hasn't come yet… it should tomorrow." His hands tremble, as though he thinks Miss Piper will start yelling at him.

"You can share with me," I pipe up, taking the opportunity to be nice.

"Really?" His face lights up, like it's the biggest favor in the world that I'm sharing a book with him, and it makes me feel even worse. It also is sort of cute.

"Yeah, sure," I say, smiling at him again, and he smiles back. Again, sort of cute. I hand him the book so he can look through it.

"What happened to taken?" Tosh whispers in my ear, very, very quietly. I ignore her comment, my face flushing wildly. Thank God Jack's intently focused on the book, carefully turning the pages. I watch as he stops at the _very _page we've read to in class and holds it down with his left index finger as he continues turning to the _very _page we were instructed to read to and then stops.

"Can I see?" I ask quietly as Miss Piper writes the day's objectives on the board. He quickly passes the book back to me, still holding down the two pages with his fingers. "How did you know what pages we were on?"

"Your notes," he explains. "There's pencil and purple pen up to here-" he points to the page we've read to "-and just pencil to here. You do pencil annotations at home and then add to them in pen during class." He grins again, a bit more confidently, and then his face falls. "And now you think I'm a showoff, don't you…"

"A bit," I admit. "But it's okay!" I reassure him when his face falls further. "Honestly, Jack, it's fine. It's cool. _Really _cool. And clever and impressive."

"Impressive?" Again he gives me that _look_, like I've just done something huge and incredible. "You… you think it's impressive?"

"Definitely impressive," I reply, moving my finger to the spot he was holding down. Our fingers brush for just a moment and we pause, not really looking at anything.

And then Tosh coughs and kills the moment.

Wait… _moment_?

I look over at Tosh, who's grinning from ear to ear, and I know what she's thinking… crap, now I'm blushing again.

_You are _taken_, Gwen_, I think, and for the rest of the class I try to focus on English but instead can't help but wonder why I even had to remind myself of that.

* * *

><p>"Jack!" I call after him as he walks out the door. I run to catch up with him. "Jack, I'm really sorry about yesterday."<p>

He turns to look at me. "It's fine," he replies, and then he grins. "I don't blame you. I am by name a _jack_ass."

I laugh heartily at his pun because it's both really cheesy and also sort of clever. "I was thinking… I saw you and Ianto sitting alone at lunch yesterday. You should come sit with us instead."

"Really?" he asks in the same tone he did when I offered to share my book. "I'd really like that."

"So would I," I say, smiling again. "I've gotta go. I'll see you at lunch, alright?"

"Thanks, Gwen," he says softly. It's the first time he's ever used my name, and there's something about the way he says it that I can't quite place. Before I can say anything, he's gone.

"Again, what happened to taken?" I turn to see Tosh, once again smirking.

"Shut _up_," I mutter. Tosh is my best friend, which is exactly why I want to punch her sometimes.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! Here's chapter two! I'm really having fun with this one so far!<strong>

**Miss Piper and Dr. Smith... hmmmmm... ;) Also, episode title jokes, yay!**

**As always, love and ducks to The Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	3. Cafeteria

**Chapter Three: Cafeteria**

_Jack's POV_

"Well done." I turn to see Ianto behind me - _again _an example of his being a freaking _shadow_.

"You saw." It's not a question. Of course he saw. He sees everything. It's scary as all heck. "You weren't in class, though."

"English, right?" I nod. "Okay, so Dr. Smith tried to flirt with Miss Piper, the way he does every day, and Miss Piper, for the first time in recorded history turned him down at the door. Impressive. Chris or perhaps Amy began clapping, and Gwen joined in. You were sitting next to her - lucky you - and you shared a book with her. Oh, and you managed to impress her, too. Noticed something about her studies? Her book? Her annotations. That'll do it; she's studious and she likes it when people say so. The rest I saw."

"I'm going to kill you one day," I mutter. "Anyway. I've got art next, and then lunch."

"As do I," he replies. "I think you'll really like it."

* * *

><p>"Silvia, this is Jack. He's new."<p>

"Right, yes, I heard we'd have a new student. Nice to meet you, Jack."

"Pleasure." I look around the studio to see the other people in the class. Let's see, how many of them can I remember? A couple of the kids from the genius table… The blond girl, I think her name is Jennifer, and then the girl with the cool dyed hair. Kristen or Kirsten; I forget, and the black guy… Derek? Both of the redheads from the clown table, Amy and Catherine, although I forget which one's which. And then I turn to my left to see a girl with dark hair and glasses. Suzie Costello.

"Uh-oh," I whisper to Ianto.

"She's not that bad without the others," he mutters. "You'll be alright."

"Alright, class, today we're just going to have a free block. You have until the end of the block to draw whatever you want for your portfolio, but know that we're not going to be working on this particular piece again. Get out whatever you want and start going."

"Cool," I grin. I know exactly what I want to do - the thing I'm best at.

I grab a big piece of drawing paper, a smaller piece and a couple of drawing pencils and an eraser. Now… what to draw? I look over at Ianto, and he's rolling his eyes, of course having guessed my first thought. "Like I'd ever do that," I mutter. Even though I would.

"Wouldn't put it past you," he teases.

"Shut up." Okay, that's out… _Think, Jack… _And then I have an idea.

I close my eyes and remember an image of the cafeteria yesterday. I can remember almost any picture in perfect detail. The trouble is, I can only remember them in grayscale. It's sort of weird, but whatever. Okay, awesome; I've got an image. Time to get started… no, wait. Gotta change the focal point; I was staring at Gwen. Zoom out a bit… okay, now the focal point is her _table_. Innocuous. Well, unless you're Ianto. Then it's a recipe for teasing… but do I really want to change the focal point? _He'll tease me regardless_, I decide.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ianto asks. I ignore him, sketching out the general layout on the little piece of paper. As soon as it's done, I get started.

I draw our table first, well, a bit of a table and a blurry Ianto, in the foreground, and then go around clockwise as I draw each table. First Suzie's, to the left and a bit back. I only was able to see them in my peripheral vision at that point; I didn't even know who they were yet. Next the clown table, also peripheral but significantly less so. The geniuses are next, directly in front, and only slightly less blurry than Ianto. And then, last but not least, Gwen's table, which as the focal point is crystal clear. Okay, tables done. Now for the other details. The floor was tiled. Tiles are easy; I like tiles. And the ones in this particular cafeteria are particularly easy. The kitchen was behind us; I draw a peripheral bit of kitchen in the back right. Dumb posters about healthy eating on the right-hand wall. The door to go outside next to the clown table. Now for shadows. Can't ever forget shadows. And, seeing as the shadows of the tables are more or less identical, they're pretty easy as well. I close my eyes, pulling back the image. Perfect. I sign my name in the bottom right-hand corner just as the bell rings.

"Jesus mother of weevils," Ianto murmurs from behind me. "You drew _that_ in forty-five minutes?"

"Apparently," I reply. "Like it?"

"It's freaking _incredible_," he laughs. "Mind if I take a picture?"

"Yeah, sure. Why?"

He shoots me that goddamn conspiratorial grin. "Well, _someone _has to show it off at lunch, and it _probably_ shouldn't be you."

"Can't argue with that," I sigh. "Well, let's go."

* * *

><p><em>Ianto's POV<em>

I watch in amusement as Jack tries (and fails) to hold in his excitement. I just hope he doesn't blow his cover today. That would be pretty awkward. Albeit funny.

"Jack! Ianto!" Gwen waves to us from her table. Jack's practically shaking.

"Hey," he grins. I wave.

"Rhys, move over a bit," Gwen says, nudging her boyfriend.

He scoffs. "I thought you said he was a stuck-up douche."

"I did, but he's not, now move over."

"Hey," Jack laughs, "I admit, I did look pretty ridiculous yesterday."

"It's _fine_," Gwen says emphatically. "Rhys. Move. Over."

"Why'd you tell him to come sit with us anyway?" Rhys asks, glaring at Gwen.

"Rhys, can't you just be nice for once? Please?"

"Maybe it's best if we don't sit here," Jack decides. "Ianto, come on. Don't want to cause problems, do we?" I smile and nod, knowing _exactly _what Jack's thinking.

"No, don't go!" Gwen shakes her head. "Rhys, stop being a jerk and _move over_."

"Gwen. It's fine. I'll see you later, okay?" He grins, and then he turns and walks back to the table where we sat yesterday. I follow him.

"Nice," I whisper as we sit down. "I have a feeling she's starting to catch on."

"The food here's _good_." Jack grins. "My last school's food was awful."

"Way to change the topic," I chuckle. Just then, Gwen walks over to our table with her food and sits down across from Jack.

"I'm really sorry," she says softly. "I don't even know why he's acting like that. Don't mind him, though. I want to be friends. Besides, I don't want my only source of knowledge about the mysterious Ianto Jones from his very biased sister." We all laugh. "And you could use friends, too." She looks right at Jack with a smile that I'd bet my life is making him melt. "I have a feeling you haven't had many. Wonder why."

"Hey!" He glares at her.

"No, seriously, I wonder why. You're not half-bad."

"Really?"

"I might be in the minority with that notion-" she points at Rhys, who's positively fuming at the fact that Gwen just up and went "-but I mean it."

"That's really nice of you…" Jack trails off for a moment. "Anyway. I know Ianto's got a sister; what about you? Any siblings?"

"Four little sisters," Gwen grins. "Yes really."

"How old are they?" Jack asks.

"Jubilee and Anwen are fourteen, Lucy is ten, and Ellie's seven."

"Jubilee and Anwen," Jack says. "I've never heard either of those before."

"I have no idea where my parents got them," Gwen laughed. "Really, I don't. Lucy and Ellie are two of my mum's best friends. The twins got the weird names. What about you, Jack? Any siblings?"

"No, just me. Me and my mom."

"What about your dad?" I ask. Something I don't know, actually.

Jack's face falls. "He… he ran off when I was five. Younger, prettier girl. Typical."

"Oh, Jack…" And all of a sudden Gwen's hugging Jack and he's hugging her right back and I know for a _fact _Jack's brain is doing a happy dance. And I'm guessing something else is, too. _Get your head out of the gutter, Ianto_.

"It's fine, though," he says as they pull apart. "I mean, obviously he didn't care about me and my mom enough to stay, so why bother with him?"

"But doesn't it hurt?" she asks. "That your dad didn't care about you?"

"It used to, but… anyway."

"Anyway what?"

"Anyway nothing," he says quickly. "You should probably go back to your table before…"

"What the hell are you doing?!" Rhys grabs Gwen's arm.

"… before that happens." He sighs.

"I'm making friends!" Gwen exclaims. "Can't you just get that? Please?"

"No, I really can't!" he half-shouts. "One day you're going on to us all about how stuck-up and annoying he is-" he jerks a finger at Jack, who clenches his teeth "-and now you're sitting with him? What the fuck's that about?"

"Language," Jack mutters under his breath, _just _loud enough for Rhys to hear him.

Rhys turns and is all of a sudden practically on top of him. I have the good sense to move Jack's lunch before he falls into it and makes a fool of himself. "What the hell did you just say?"

Jack gives him a look that Chris Noble, master of sass, would be jealous of. "You heard me. I said 'language.' I'm sure you've heard that before."

"How the _hell_-"

"Turn around," Jack and I say at the same time. He turns to see Gwen laughing. "Gwen, I'd make a run for it…" Jack suggests.

"Um… yeah, good thinking…" and she takes off. Rhys stands there confused for a minute, not sure whether to go after her or us.

"Oh, leave her alone," Jack rolls his eyes. "I've had plenty of girlfriends, and they all made fun of me plenty. It's practically in the job description."

"Wonder why," he mutters, and he storms off.

"And she clues in more and more," I laugh once he's out of earshot. "You're good at this."

"I'm sure you know this, but I've never had a girlfriend. Not once."

"Course I know; I know everything."

"We never got to show Gwen that drawing," Jack sighs.

"She'll see it," I grin. I pull out my phone and text the picture to Martha. "Martha's been trying to get her away from Rhys for ages. Tosh, too. None of her friends like him. I sometimes wonder whether Gwen stays with him just to prove a point."

Jack sighs. "Do you think she'll leave him?"

"After this, there's a chance. If we keep bringing out his inner asshole, I think she'll wise up soon." I grin. "Hey. I won't give up until she's kissing you so hard you _asphyxiate_."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm," Jack laughs. "But I think asphyxiation during facial consumption might defeat the purpose." And with that, the bell rings.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey y'alls! Here's chapter three! I happened to like writing this one a lot.<strong>

**Except for Anwen (which is of course a reference to Gwen's canonical daughter), Gwen's sisters are all named after Lone Shippers: Jubilee (JubJubFanFic), Lucy (who sadly doesn't have an account), and Ellie-Mai (LoveInEveryMoment)!**

**Remember to take the Criminal Minds Challenge!**

**As always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	4. The Rhysistance

**Chapter Four: The Rhysistance**

_Tosh's POV_

"Ugh, Martha, can't you save it until I'm home? I don't like walking and talking!" I roll my eyes.

"I didn't know if you were home or not! Text me when you get home. I have a thing to send to you and it's _important_."

"What is it?"

"You'll see. Get home quickly!" She hangs up.

"Well, this'll be interesting," I say to myself, and I put my phone back in its little pocket on my backpack strap.

* * *

><p>I sit down at my desk and pull out my iPhone.<p>

_To Martha Jones: Okay, I'm home. What is it?_

_New picture message from Martha Jones: _

_From Martha Jones: Ianto sent this to me earlier. Observe the signature in the bottom right hand corner. I think we've struck gold._

I look at the picture and my jaw drops. Who the hell can draw like that? Apparently, they've signed their name… I zoom in on the bottom right corner and see the letters JH.

Only one person I know with those initials.

_To Martha Jones: Holy. Crap. The. Bed._

_From Martha Jones: Right?! And, I have intel from Ianto - he's into her. Way into her. And Ianto knows all. I think we might have a shot here!_

_To Martha Jones: What, do you think we can get her to fall for him?_

_From Martha Jones: After the little show in the cafeteria today, maybe._

_To Martha Jones: Get Jack's number for me. Let's rally the troops._

A few minutes later, I set up a group message.

_To Martha Jones, Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness: Alright, guys, listen up._

_From Jack Harkness: Who the hell are you?_

_To Group: Toshiko Sato, Gwen's best friend._

_From Martha Jones: Tosh, what the hell are you doing?_

_To Group: This, my friends, is the Rhysistance._

_From Ianto Jones: The what?_

_To Group: The Rhysistance. A group of passionate individuals with two primary objectives._

_To Group: Our primary objective is to get Gwen away from Rhys fucking Williams, henceforth known as RFW._

_To Group: Our secondary objective is to get Gwen and Jack together._

_From Martha Jones: Because they're weeviling perfect for each other._

_To Group: Hear, hear._

_From Jack Harkness: Okay, two things. One, who said I was interested in objective 2?_

_From Ianto Jones: I may or may not have slipped… besides it's weeviling obvious._

_From Jack Harkness: Ianto, I fucking hate you. Also, what the flying fuck is a weevil?_

_From Martha Jones: Family joke._

_From Ianto Jones: Long story._

_To Group: Back to the point, if you don't mind. Are we all clear on the objectives?_

_From Martha Jones: Crystal._

_To Group: Excellent. How are we proceeding from here?_

_From Jack Harkness: Do we really need to make it all weird and secret code-y and shit?_

_To Group: Do you want the girl or not?_

_From Jack Harkness: … fine. Still think it's weird._

_From Ianto Jones: You're weird._

_From Jack Harkness: Shut up._

_To Group: BACK TO THE POINT!_

_From Martha Jones: Can we save it for later? I need to do hw._

_From Ianto Jones: Yeah me too._

_From Jack Harkness: Me three._

_To Group: Okay bye. The Rhysistance will prevail! :D_

_From Martha Jones: You're nuts._

_To Group: Actually, I'm Tosh. Whatever. Bye._

I put my phone on my desk and sit back in my chair. I really should be doing my homework, but all that's on my mind is the Rhysistance. I honestly don't know how Gwen and Rhys have stayed together that long. It doesn't make sense. It just doesn't. Whatever. I pull out my math notebook and begin flipping through the pages to find a blank one. Which is really hard to do, because half of the pages are covered in doodles of hearts and other signs of my huge crush on Owen Harper.

Owen and I are neighbors. He's the only person on the planet who's known me longer than Gwen (except for my family of course). And I've had a crush on him since I was like seven. We used to walk home together as kids, but then in the fifth grade I started taking karate and my mom had to drive me there, and by the time I quit, Owen was working part time. And I remember one day, when we were in the third grade, we were walking home together and I asked him if he'd be my boyfriend. He laughed, and said "Maybe someday." And then he kissed my cheek. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and stood there for awhile, and by the time I snapped out of it, he was gone. I've been hoping for that someday ever since.

It's not really a secret, my crush on him. Even he sort of knows it. Right now, we're good friends. He and Gwen and Martha and I have always been close. Ianto's hung out with us, but it wasn't until just now that he's started _really _hanging out with us. And Owen and I have another thing in common: we both think "RFW" is a no-good piece of shit.

Maybe he'd like to join the Rhysistance…

_To Owen Harper: Hey, can you do me a favor?_

_From Owen Harper: Yeah, sure._

_To Owen Harper: Check out this photo._

_To Owen Harper: _

_To Owen Harper: Ianto sent to Martha. Martha sent to me. Look at the signature in the bottom right corner._

_From Owen Harper: Looking now_

_From Owen Harper: Damn, he's talented._

_To Owen Harper: And totally worth her time! :) AND he likes her! Jackpot! (no pun intended)_

_From Owen Harper: … you and Martha are planning on milking this for all it's worth._

_To Owen Harper: Want to help?_

_From Owen Harper: Sure… how?_

_To Owen Harper: As of like ten minutes ago, Martha, Ianto, Jack and I formed a sort of secret club called the Rhysistance._

_From Owen Harper: Resistance?_

_From Owen Harper: Rhysistance? damn autocorrect. Anyway, guessing you came up with that._

_To Owen Harper: Yes, it's weird. Don't judge me._

_From Owen Harper: Hate to tell you, sweetheart, but you're already weird._

_To Owen Harper: *sighs* So, do you want in?_

_From Owen Harper: Yeah, sure._

_To Owen Harper: Yay! Adding you to the group texty thingy right now._

_From Owen Harper: Texty thingy?_

_To Owen Harper: No judging!_

_From Owen Harper: Course not ;)_

I open up the group text and add Owen's number into it.

_To Group: We have a new member of the Rhysistance - Owen! :D :D_

_From Ianto Jones: 1. That's great. 2. GO DO YOUR FREAKING HOMEWORK!_

_To Group: whatever, just wanted to let you guys know._

_To Group: Also, should we get Gwen's sisters involved? Not the little ones, just the twins. I know they both hate RFW. The little ones do too, but they're too young._

_From Jack Harkness: OH MY GOD TOSH SHUT UP!_

_To Group: Well, should we?_

_From Martha Jones: We can talk about it AFTER I do my homework. Let's talk again at like 9pm or something._

_From Ianto Jones: Yeah, that sounds good._

_From Jack Harkness: Should be fine._

_From Owen Harper: Great. 9pm. TTYL._

_To Group: Owen, did you seriously just say TTYL?_

_From Owen Harper: STFU!_

_To Group: … fine, be that way._

I decide it would be best for me to shut off my phone, so I'm not tempted. Damn, this Rhysistance thing is really hogging up my brain space. Now for my math homework.

* * *

><p><em>A few hours later…<em>

As soon as the clock says 9:00, I get out my phone and text the others.

_To Group: Alright then. Should we get Annie and Jubilee involved?_

_From Jack Harkness: Damn, someone was sitting next to her clock. Also, is Annie short for Anwen?_

_To Group: Yeah, she hates being called Anwen. Should we get them involved?_

_From Martha Jones: IDK. I mean, they hate RFW. The question is, can we trust them not to tell anyone else? It can't get back to Gwen. They're only 14._

_From Jack Harkness: I could keep a secret at 14. Fuck, I could keep a secret at 6. Had no choice, really. Long story, not getting into it now. Ianto, don't you dare._

_From Ianto Jones: Hey, you're getting good!_

_From Jack Harkness: Thanks, now let's get back to the point before Tosh virtually murders us. I don't know them that well. Personally, I'd say if they're invested in the cause and we make it clear that they can't tell Gwen, we should be all good._

_From Martha Jones: I agree. Only problem is what happens if Lucy or Ellie finds out by accident? They probably won't be able to keep a secret. It might be safest to not let our existence become known to anyone in the family._

_To Group: I see where you're coming from, but Lucy and Ellie don't exactly have access to the twins' phones, do they? I know that the twins just got new iPhones for their birthdays and those have the fingerprint thing. As long as we keep things to text messaging only, there shouldn't be a problem._

_From Owen Harper: Hold on a second. Before we go any further, quick question: does anyone actually have the twins' numbers? I don't, Jack doesn't…_

_To Group: Shit. I don't._

_From Martha Jones: Me neither. There goes that._

_To Group: I know Gwen's iCloud password; I could get their numbers from there…_

_From Jack Harkness: Except once you sign in, Gwen gets an email saying someone signed in from an unrecognized device. Dumb idea. Do you have any other way to get in touch? Email, Facebook, Instagram, anything?_

_To Group: I'm friends with them both on Facebook._

_From Jack Harkness: Alright, you can send them FB IMs._

_From Ianto Jones: Jack, you're brilliant. And that says a lot, coming from me :)_

_From Jack Harkness: Don't push it, Ianto._

_To Group: Hold on a second, I'll get their numbers._

I switch over to the Facebook app. Jubilee happens to be online. Perfect.

_To Jubilee Cooper: Hey, what are your and Annie's numbers?_

_From Jubilee Cooper: Um… why?_

_To Jubilee Cooper: As of a few hours ago, I became founder and leader of a secret group devoted to getting your sister away from her stupid boyfriend, and I was wondering whether you two wanted in._

_From Jubilee Cooper: OMG! Does this have something to do with Jack?_

_To Jubilee Cooper: Yeah, we struck gold when he came here. He's totally worth her time AND he likes her. He's part of the Rhysistance._

_From Jubilee Cooper: Love. The. Name. I'm in! Let me check with Annie._

_To Jubilee Cooper: Fantastic._

_From Jubilee Cooper: She's in, too! :D :D_

I add Annie's and Jubilee's numbers into the group text.

_To Group: The twins are in!_

_From Annie Cooper: Alright, so who's this Jack character?_

_From Jack Harkness: I'd say I'm not a character, but then Ianto would (quite correctly) call me a liar. So which one are you? I haven't added you two in yet._

_From Annie Cooper: I'm Annie._

_From Jack Harkness: Alright, adding you in, and the other new number's Jubilee?_

_From Jubilee Cooper: Yeah, hey! OMG I'm sooooo glad there's finally a reason to try to get my sister away from Rhys! :D :D :D_

_To Group: Okay, first thing: we don't refer to him by name. We refer to him as RFW._

_From Jubilee Cooper: Sorry! Wait, RFW?_

_From Annie Cooper: R-fucking-W, I'm guessing._

_To Group: You got it. Don't tell Gwen, if you don't mind._

_From Jubilee Cooper: Wouldn't dream of it :) she'd be sooooo pissed…_

_From Annie Cooper: Sorta worth it, though…_

_To Group: Anyway. So, this is the Rhysistance. Like I said earlier, our goal is getting Gwen away from RFW and with Jack._

_From Jubilee Cooper: Wait, Jack likes her?_

_From Jack Harkness: Damn straight._

_From Jubilee Cooper: OMG THAT'S AWESOME!_

_From Annie Cooper: Don't get too excited… he could be a total dud too! jk :)_

_From Jack Harkness *rolls eyes* If Tosh and Martha say I'm worth her time…_

_From Martha Jones: Don't worry. Jack's way better than RFW._

_From Annie Cooper: Just be careful, Jack. If you mess with my sister, you're dead as a doornail._

_From Ianto Jones: Technically, doornails aren't dead; they're inanimate._

_From Annie Cooper: Not the point, jackass._

_From Jack Harkness: I'm the jackass. He's the iantoass. You're the annieass. Etc._

_From Annie Cooper: I'm not an ass, thank you very much._

_From Jack Harkness: Would you rather be the anwenass? Perfectly willing to do that as well…_

_From Annie Cooper: WHO THE FUCK TOLD YOU MY REAL NAME?!_

_From Jack Harkness: Language, sweetheart. Gwen told me._

_From Annie Cooper: Keep calling me sweetheart and you'll never get her._

_From Jack Harkness: Damn, she's sassy. Definitely an annieass. Or anwenass. Whichever you prefer._

_From Martha Jones: *gets a bag of popcorn and watches the show*_

_From Annie Cooper: You do that, Martha._

_To Group: Alright here's the deal. I'm going to go take a piss, and if you guys aren't done fighting like kids when I get back, I'm going to do something very nasty. I'm not sure what yet, but it won't be nice._

_From Jubilee Cooper: Jesus Tosh! TMI much! :O_

_From Martha Jones: Okay we'd better stop it then. Tosh could probably hack all of our emails and phones and shit. She nearly hacked Gwen's iCloud ten minutes ago._

_From Annie Cooper: Why?_

_From Martha Jones: To get your #s._

_From Annie Cooper: Ah. Anyway, I will accept my role as annieass, if only to shut the jackass up._

_From Jack Harkness: And there was much rejoicing._

_From Ianto Jones: Yaaaaaay!_

_From Jubilee Cooper: OMG you know Monty Python!_

_From Jack Harkness: Favorite movie!_

_From Ianto Jones: Actually his favorite movie is Mean Girls._

_From Jack Harkness: YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T TELL YOU ASSHAT!_

_From Jubilee Cooper: That's Gwen's favorite movie too ;)_

_From Jack Harkness: … yeah I know._

_From Jubilee Cooper: It's something to work from, though. You could, I dunno, have like a sleepover at your house with everyone there and watch the movie or something._

_From Jack Harkness: Actually not a bad idea. I like that._

_From Martha Jones: And it would be tons of fun!_

_From Ianto Jones: An entire night of being able to make fun of you? I'm in._

_From Jack Harkness: I bet my mom would bake cookies. Her cookies are legendary._

_From Annie Cooper: We probably shouldn't go; it doesn't really make sense._

_From Jubilee Cooper: But I want to have Jack's mum's cookies! :( :(_

_From Annie Cooper: Come on, Jubs. Jack doesn't even know us IRL. Gwen would think we're up to something if we went._

_From Jubilee Cooper: Fiiiiiiiiiiine ;(_

_From Jack Harkness: I'll send some home with Gwen so you four can try them, okay?_

_From Jubilee Cooper: Yaaaaaaaay! :D :D :D_

_To Group: Alright so Jack you're willing to host a sleepover?_

_From Jack Harkness: Yeah, but maybe not quite yet. I want to become better friends with all of you guys. I've only been here two days remember._

_To Group: Yeah true. Maybe in a week or two?_

_From Jack Harkness: Yeah, that sounds good. I should go now; my mom's calling. We play cards every Friday night :) my mom is the best._

_From Martha Jones: Aww that's so sweet! Have fun! See you Monday. Tosh, are the three of us still on for Saturday?_

_To Group: Think so. I'll check with Gwen._

_From Martha Jones: Perfect. Ianto, want to go prank Grumps?_

_From Ianto Jones: You bet! Meet me in the backyard in ten._

_From Annie Cooper: Jubs, let's work on the comic some more :D We're writing RFW-bashing comics lol :)_

_To Group: Niiiiiiiice - be sure to send us pics! :D Bye!_

My phone buzzes again with a text from Owen, although it's not in the Rhysistance text group; it's just to me.

_From Owen Harper: What the hell did I just get into?_

_To Owen Harper: The Rhysistance! :D_

_From Owen Harper: Got that part. You guys are fucking crazy._

_To Owen Harper: You're fucking crazy too - and anything else that'll stand still long enough_

_From Owen Harper: Watch it, or you're next ;) I live next door_

_To Owen Harper: *quakes in boots*_

_From Owen Harper: You're not wearing boots._

_To Owen Harper: How would you know? I might be!_

_From Owen Harper: Want me to come over and look?_

_To Owen Harper: You're flirting with me._

_From Owen Harper: Oh, really?! Hadn't noticed!_

_From Owen Harper: Problem?_

_To Owen Harper: Not really… I should go though. Night._

_From Owen Harper: Night :)_

* * *

><p><em>Owen's POV<em>

I lie awake in bed, thinking about Tosh and my easy flirtatious banter. It's always been like this between us, but I've always wished it to be more. I sometimes wonder what it would be like to kiss her, her lips against mine, arms wrapped tightly around each other, whispering "I love you" as we pull apart, hearing her whisper "I love you" back.

I fall asleep and dream us sitting together on the couch, her head resting on my shoulder, my arm resting on the back of the seat, hand gently rubbing up and down her arm. Every now and again, I kiss the top of her head, taking in the sweet scent of her hair, and she sighs contentedly. Eventually, she falls asleep, and I carry her upstairs to my bedroom, tucking her gently between the sheets. "Sweet dreams," I whisper in her ear, kissing her forehead lightly. Her eyes flutter open and she begs me to stay with her, to crawl in bed next to her. I can't help but oblige her, letting her rest her head on my chest, snuggling close to me, and we fall asleep in each others' arms.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! So, Tosh and Owen like each other! Are they going to get together? Well, of course they are. Question is, when?<strong>

**Make sure to become part of the What the Fluff project - details in my profile!**

**As always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	5. Math

**Chapter Five: Math**

_Jack's POV_

"First math class," I say to myself as I walk into my math classroom. "Let's see how this goes."

I look around and am disappointed to see that I don't know anyone in the class particularly well. Ianto already told me that he wasn't in the class, but I was hoping at least one person in the Rhysistance - I have to stifle a laugh at the name - would be. Worse, Suzie, Melody, and Clara are _all _in the class.

"Jack?" I turn to see Owen. We've never talked in real life, but we have of course over text.

"Hey."

"I'll sit with you, if you want." He gives me a slight smile. "I hope you're prepared for this."

"What do you mean, _prepared_?" Uh-oh.

"Mr. Saxon is absolutely insane. Completely nuts." Owen sighs. "He's ridiculously rich and is responsible for the majority of the school's funding, so they won't fire him even though he should be in a mental health institute."

"Okay…" I'm now a bit nervous. I've never had a quote-unquote "insane" teacher before.

"Here he comes," Owen says. We sit down and watch as a skinny man with blond hair walks into the room.

"Alright!" he says excitedly, drumming his fingers on the desk in front of him. "We've got a new student, is that right? James?"

"Hi," I say nervously, waving. "It's Jack."

"Yes, that's right," he says, but it's clear he doesn't really care that much. "Well, let's get going with the math, shall we? Here's our worksheet for the day. Jack, the way this works is that you do the worksheet and finish it for homework. Easy as easy gets, eh? And feel free to work with your classmates." He hands me the worksheet. I look at the first problem.

_Let's say that a mixture of 42 percent chemical A and 58 percent chemical B can kill someone in under five minutes. I have 30 gallons of chemical A. How many gallons of chemical B do I need to add to make my poison?_

I look at the worksheet to see that all of the problems are equally gruesome. "Is this for real?" I ask Owen very quietly.

"It's for real," he replies. "And you don't have to whisper. He's left the room."

"What?!" I look up to see that he has indeed left the room. "He just gives us a worksheet and leaves?"

"Every day," Owen nods. "We're all pretty sure he's getting high on something during class. It explains the loopiness."

"Does he check the worksheets the next morning?"

"We get a worksheet every Monday through Wednesday. On Thursday we go over all of the worksheets together. On Friday we have a quiz. He takes the average score of all the quizzes, and if it's under a C we do the same material the next week."

"That seems like a pretty good system," I muse.

"It is, but nobody really takes it seriously because he's so crazy." He shrugs. "I do the work, because I want to learn the math. I want to be a doctor when I grow up, so I need to know what I'm doing. I just ignore the gruesome details and solve the problem."

"I suppose I'd best do that too," I decide. "I won't… get anywhere if I don't."

Owen laughs. "She doesn't care. We were both in his class last year; she always made fun of him. He's the only teacher she doesn't take seriously."

"Who do you think you are, Ianto 2.0?" I roll my eyes. "Honestly-"

"Before you say a thing, remember that you're in the same room as the three biggest bitches on the planet. Note that I said biggest _bitches_, as opposed to biggest _dick_."

"Yeah, well we know who that is," I tease. I then lower my voice, because Owen's right; the three bitches are in the room. "What do you think about this whole Rhysistance thing?"

"Gwen is one of my best friends," Owen whispers back, "and I hate that guy with a passion. I think it's a brilliant idea." He sighs. "And I think Tosh is brilliant." I notice that tiny little hint of a flush in his cheeks.

"You like her?"

"Bit more than that," Owen admits. The flush deepens. "I've had a crush on her since we were kids. It's… it's full blown love by now."

"I have a plan," I tell him. "I'm going to find out if she likes you back. I think she might. And if she does, you can go for her."

"How are you going to find out?" he asks.

"You're forgetting that my best friend is a fucking _psychic_," I remind him.

"You think Ianto knows?"

"No, I _know _Ianto knows. And on the very, very, very off-chance that he doesn't, Martha's sure to. He'll ask her and report back to me, and then you can ask her out."

"I suppose," Owen shrugs. "What if she doesn't?"

"Then we make another version of the Rhysistance and get you two together." I grin. "You're helping me, I'll help you."

"Sounds like a plan." Owen and I fist-bump. "And on that note, we have creepy-ass math to do."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey y'alls! Here's chapter five! Sorry it's so short. I promise the next chapters will be normal-length.<strong>

**Remember to submit to the WHAT THE FLUFF PROJECT! We now have a deviantART; you can find us at whatthefluffproject! All of the WTF submissions are going to be posted up there as well. And of course remember to follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. (I've decided to not do a Facebook or Google Plus; it's just too much to manage.)**

**And, speaking of What the Fluff, my friend Mary (banana minion of the pixy stix) and I are holding a new challenge, called the Miracle Challenge! For details, read our new story, I'll Run Away To You - it's on my profile!**

**And, speaking of challenges, we have our first winner for the Criminal Minds Challenge; congratulations ALEX! The oneshot in his honor is on the way!**

**As always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxxxx**


	6. Invitation

**Hey y'alls! Quick AN before we begin: This one takes place two weeks after the last chapter. Here we go!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six: Invitation<strong>

_Gwen's POV_

I close the car door and look up at to see four faces pressed up against the window in the living room, four sisters eagerly awaiting my arrival. I love my sisters. My sisters love me. It's awesome. I barely get to the door before it swings open.

"Ten-second rule," I remind them before they can jump on me. The ten-second rule is one I invented last year, explicitly stating that they must wait ten seconds before hugging me and so forth. I love that I have to have this sort of a rule with them.

"It's been ten seconds!" seven-year-old Ellie shouts, and she runs and jumps up into my arms. I just manage to catch her as she says "Hiiiiiiiii!" and starts squirming.

"Hey there, wriggly worm," I tease. She says she hates being called a wriggly worm, but I know better. "How was your day? Let's see…" I put her down and take a look at the costume she's wearing. She always puts on some sort of sparkly, girly costume after she gets home from school, for she hates the uniform as much as Jack. I make a note to myself to bring this up to him tomorrow. "Fairy princess today?" She nods, grinning. "Prettiest fairy princess I've ever seen. Lucy! How did you do on that spelling quiz?" I turn to ten-year-old Lucy, who goes in for a hug as soon as the area is Ellie-free.

"Perfect score!" she replies excitedly.

"Thatta girl!" I high-five her. "That's, what, six perfect scores in a row?"

"Eight," she reminds me.

"That's right, eight. You're a genius, missy. Remember that."

"I know," she grins.

"What are we, chopped liver?" Annie and Jubilee are leaning against the staircase, rolling their eyes.

"You're nuts, that's what you are." I go and hug them both, and then turn to Annie. "Oh mistress of sass, who received the sting of your tongue today? _Besides _Rhys." It is a truth universally acknowledged that Annie Cooper will at least once a day say something nasty about my boyfriend. Usually it's more than that. And Jubilee only encourages her. Even the little ones don't seem to like him.

"He was the only one today," Annie sighs. "I'm losing my touch."

"B-blubbermuffin," I improvise quickly. All four little sisters looks at me like, _What the heck?_ "Totally a thing."

Jubilee laughs, shakes her head, and rolls her eyes all at the same time. This is a pretty typical Jubilee expression, one that I receive a lot. "Whatever you say, Gwen. Also, your phone's been going off. You have an email. Looks like it's important."

I glare at Jubilee because I'm sure she already knows the sender. The girl has an eagle eye and loves to spy on me. This time, though, it's like she knows a little bit more. Whatever. The twins are always conspiring against me, and aren't above getting Tosh and Martha involved as well. I swear, it sometimes feels like the twins and Tosh and Martha and Owen have some sort of secret club that I'm not a part of. I'd bet five quid that Ianto and Jack are being looped in as well. Anyway, I pull out my phone and open the email to see it's from Jack.

_From: Jack Harkness_

_To: me, Ianto Jones, Martha Jones, Owen Harper, Rhys Williams, Toshiko Sato_

_Subject: Sleepover this weekend? :)_

_Hey guys! I was thinking we could have a sleepover at my place Saturday night. We have a basement with an Xbox and all that crap, and my mom's already promised to make cookies. Should be fun. Let me know if you can make it. Also, try to keep this on the DL; I only have so much room in my basement and my mom will kill me if this turns into some huge party._

_See you guys tomorrow!_

_Jack_

"You have a text, too," Jubilee says as I finish reading.

_From Tosh: OH, MJ, IJ, and I are all going on Saturday! You should come! :)_

_To Tosh: I'll check with Rhys…_

_From Tosh: You realize you can go without him, right?_

_To Tosh: I'll get back to you_

I'm about to put my phone away when my phone buzzes again.

_From Rhys: You'd better not be going on Saturday._

I sigh. Figured as much. My phone buzzes again.

_From Rhys: I'm a fucking saint, letting you hang around that bastard all the time. No way in hell you're going to his fucking house._

"I've gotta do homework," I lie quickly, and I grab my backpack and run for my room, knowing that the twins aren't buying it but not really caring. As soon as I get there, I sit down on the bed and text Rhys back.

_To Rhys: Why shouldn't I? Everyone else is going!_

_From Rhys: Everyone else isn't fucking taken!_

_To Rhys: He invited you too. We can both go! Come on, it'll be fun._

_From Rhys: I'm not going anywhere, thank you very much, and neither are you. Otherwise, we're done._

_To Rhys: Don't be like that! Rhys, it's not a big deal. Everyone else is going; it'll be fine._

_From Rhys: It's a big deal to me. Can't you respect that? Your choice. If you go, we're done._

_To Rhys: We've been together two years, Rhys! Two years over a stupid sleepover?!_

_From Rhys: At that douche's house, yeah! Five years, even._

_To Rhys: Why do you hate him so much? He never did anything to you._

_From Rhys: Your choice. Gotta go. See you tomorrow._

It takes all the self-control I possess not to chuck the damn phone against the wall. Tears start forming and I flop down onto my bed, not sure what to do.

* * *

><p><em>Jack's POV<em>

My phone buzzes with a text. I open it to see that it's Jubilee, texting the Rhysistance.

_From Jubilee Cooper: Gwen and RFW are having a text fight over the whole sleepover thing. :( what now?_

_From Tosh Sato: Knew that was coming. Nice going, Jack._

_To Group: It was your idea! Don't blame me!_

_From Tosh Sato: No, it's great. More asshole revelation. No sarcasm._

_From Martha Jones: Think she'll come?_

_From Annie Cooper: Seeing as he threatened calling it quits…_

_To Group: That rat-bastard!_

_From Annie Cooper: … she ain't coming._

_To Group: I can't fucking believe this guy._

_From Martha Jones: Welcome to the club._

_From Tosh Sato: ^^ Literally :D #rhysistance_

_From Owen Harper: Tosh. Really?! Hashtags?! REALLY?!_

_From Jubilee Cooper: Annie and I should go - I can hear her crying in her room, we need to make sure the little ones aren't bugging her too much._

_To Group: I swear I'm going to punch him for making her cry._

_From Tosh Sato: Bad idea._

_To Group: yeah I know. Oh, here comes an email from Gwen._

Indeed, my phone had just buzzed with an email from her.

_From: Gwen Cooper_

_To: me_

_Subject: Party_

_Hey Jack_

_So sorry but I can't go the the party on Saturday. I really wanted to though :( have fun!_

_Gwen_

* * *

><p><em>The next morning - Tosh's POV<em>

I walk out of English a bit nervous. Gwen's _never _been this quiet in English. It's her favorite subject, her best subject, and she didn't say a word. Not one. Didn't raise her hand, just stared at _Romeo and Juliet _the entire time. Even Miss Piper's now-daily rejection of Dr. Smith didn't get her to smile.

I know what's upsetting her, but she hasn't told me about what happened yet; I only know from the twins. If I tell her I know what's going on, the Rhysistance's cover will be blown. All I can do is wait for her to spill.

"Jack?" I look up to see that she's left my side and run up to Jack.

"Hey," he says with a slight smile. "What's going on? You didn't say a word in English."

"I… I just feel really awful about not being able to come," she sighed. "I wanted to, Jack, I really did, and I'm so sorry-"

"Don't be," he says gently, laying a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Gwen, really. I didn't expect _everyone _to be able to come, not on such short notice." Still she looks doubtful. "I'll have others, I promise," he grins.

"Okay," she sighs. "I should get to class. See you at lunch?"

"Definitely. See you later." He leans against the wall and watches her walk off.

"You really care about her," I say softly as I approach him. "I thought at first you just thought she was hot, but you really do care about her."

"Well, she is hot," he replies. "Very, very hot. But she's also incredibly smart and funny and kind. Not to mention loyal. He's lucky to have her."

"Very," I agree. "Very, very lucky. And so are her sisters. You don't even know how devoted she is to them."

"The world's lucky to have her." We turn to see Ianto, as usual appearing out of nowhere. "And she's lucky to have you."

"That she is," I nod. "Let's go to class before-" the bell rings "-before that happens. Fuck."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey y'alls :D Sorry for not updating; I've got sooooo much stuff on my plate.<strong>

**A reminder to all to check out my profile for information on What the Fluff!**

**And, as always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	7. The Sleepover -- TRIGGER WARNING

**TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of abuse**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven: The Sleepover<strong>

_5pm: Martha's POV_

"It's this one, here." Ianto points to a white house with the number 54 on it.

"Yeah, I know," I roll my eyes as I pull in. "Backseat driver."

"Except I'm in the front," he points out.

"Shut up." My brother is honestly the biggest pain in the ass I have ever met. The fact that he's practically psychic doesn't help. "Looks like Tosh and Owen are already here."

"Think they'll ever get together?" Ianto asks. "I mean, it's obvious they like each other. When do you think they'll figure it out?"

"Tosh is shy, and Owen's an idiot," I remind him. "It'll probably take some time and guidance for them to get their heads out of their asses and onto each other."

"Martha, that's hardly sanitary," Ianto teases. "And you want to be a doctor." I scowl at him. "Come on, let's go."

I knock on the door and almost instantly it opens to reveal Jack. "Hey guys!"

"Spit it out, Jack, it's weird not seeing me in a suit." Ianto nudges Jack's arm. _Oh, god, _I think, _five seconds in and my mad brother's already at it._

"What's weirder is your lack of social graces," Jack retorts.

"I have plenty of social graces," Ianto explains. "I just don't ever bother to apply them."

"And that's so much better." Just then, a woman who's quite obviously Jack's mother comes into the doorway. "Ah, just who I wanted to see. Mom, Ianto and Martha."

"Hi guys," Jack's mom says with a smile. "I'm Amanda. Go on downstairs, before-"

"Martha!" Tosh exclaims as she comes running towards us, Owen just behind her.

"-Before that happens," she finishes. We all laugh.

"That's everyone then." Jack grins, but it's not just Ianto who knows he's faking a smile.

"Gwen couldn't make it?" Apparently Amanda is blissfully ignorant about-

"She would've come, but her _stupid _boyfriend threw a bloody _tantrum_," Tosh explains, her eyes darkening almost murderously. So much for blissfully ignorant.

"He's that bad." It's not a question. "I can see why you all don't like him."

"Jack," Ianto chastises. "You weren't supposed to tell anyone about the Rhysistance."

"What's that?" Amanda asks.

Jack smirks. "Nice going, Ianto. Very nice going. Now _you_ can explain the Rhysistance."

He sighs "Basically… all of Gwen's friends and two of her sisters are sort of… joining forces to get her and Rhys-"

"Ianto. We don't refer to him by name." Tosh crosses her arms over her chest.

"Right, sorry, RFW. We're trying to get Gwen and RFW to split up. And then after that, get her and Jack together."

"Ha! I _knew_ you liked her!" Amanda smirks triumphantly, in a manner very similar to her son's.

"Lesson learned, Jack," I laugh. "Never try to trick Ianto… it'll always come back to bite you in the a-in the butt."

"Ass is fine," Amanda smiles. "Honestly, we both swear like sailors around here. Alright then. You five go down to the basement. Pizza should be here in about an hour. And _behave_!" As she says this, she looks _directly _at Tosh and Owen. "I don't trust you."

It takes all the energy I can muster to hold back my laughter. "How long have you two been here?" I ask casually.

"I dunno… ten minutes?" Tosh guesses. "Why?"

"Curious," I say quickly. I feel Ianto walk up behind me - I'm the only person on the planet who can tell when he's close by.

"Damn," he whispers to me. "Ten minutes and Amanda can see it."

"My thoughts exactly," I nod. "Who knows, maybe it'll happen tonight."

* * *

><p>"Your mom's cool," I say as we walk into the basement. "Like, really cool."<p>

"She's the best," Jack grins. "I don't know what I'd do without her."

After a few moments of consideration, I ask the question that's been on my mind. "I hate to be rude or insensitive, but I'm just curious… Where's your dad?"

Jack sighs and sinks down onto the couch. "He ran off when I was five. Younger, prettier woman. He'd been sleeping with her for years, pretended he was working late but really going over to her house. Ah well," he shrugs. "Apparently that's what men do."

"Does he ever get in touch?" I ask. His face falls further. "If you don't want to answer that, it's okay. I totally understand."

"No, I should talk about it. My therapist always says I should, but I never do. And I'd rather tell you guys now and let it out, so I don't let it slip in front of-at school." We all know what he's thinking, but nobody says it. "When I was thirteen, he got back in touch. I don't know how he found me, but somehow he managed to find my cell number. He told me how much he missed me and how sorry he was that he'd left me behind. And he said he wanted to meet up with me, to catch up." Tears start forming. "I was just a kid, and so naturally I took the bait. We met up at my old favorite playground, the one we used to all go to together, and-" He broke off for a few moments. "He demanded information on my mom. Said that if I loved him, I had to prove it, by telling him her new address. I asked him how he knew we'd moved, and he just said "I have my ways." And then, since I wouldn't tell him anything… He pinned me up against a wall and refused to let me go. I screamed, really loudly, enough to get people to come over and try to help me, and he tried to explain it away. Said I was his son, which was true, but that I was also diagnosed with some severe mental illness and that what he was doing tended to get me to calm down. Thank God there was a psychiatrist in the group who knew he was lying and called the cops. I ended up testifying against him in court, so he's behind bars now, but I still have flashbacks, nightmares…"

Ianto sits down on the couch next to him and hugs him tightly. "I'm so sorry, Jack," he says softly. "I knew about his running off, but not the rest."

"It's alright," Jack says with a tiny hint of a smile. "Things are getting better now. I'm trying to move on. I mean, look at me now. I've got friends over, doing well in school, all of that."

"And soon, a girlfriend," Tosh grins. "It's going to happen, I promise. She'll come around."

"Hope so," Jack sighs. "But, in the meantime, who's up for losing at Mario Kart?"

"Losing?" I retort. "I know not the word!"

"She really doesn't," Ianto interjects. "She's an absolute master at that game, honestly."

"It's on," Jack grins.

* * *

><p><em>8:30 pm: Gwen's POV<em>

I flop backwards onto my bed and close my eyes, finally allowing the tears to fall. The little girls are in bed, the twins are in their room drawing some sort of comic, and my parents are out for the night, giving me a good opportunity to cry without being noticed.

I wanted so badly to go to Jack's sleepover. I can picture all of my friends, having a great time without me, and it's a burning, wrenching pain that I can't shake.

"You're going to wake the girls up." I turn to see that Annie has very quietly entered my room, followed closely by Jubilee.

I glare at them. "How many times do I tell you, _knock first_?!"

"You wouldn't have let us in," Jubilee replies. "And you shouldn't be alone right now."

I look at Jubilee and then at Annie. I can still remember when I first met them. I was only two at the time, but my first glance at my first little sisters is a memory burned in my mind. And here they are, fourteen years old and standing in my room with identical stubborn expressions on their faces, refusing to let me suffer by myself.

"Fine," I sigh. I expect them to sit down on the bed with me, but instead, they take off.

A few moments later, Annie returns with a giant shopping bag of junk food and my laptop and Jubilee with-

"What're we doing?" Ellie asks excitedly as she and Lucy walk into the room behind Jubilee. "Oooh, sweets!" She makes for the food, but the twins stop her.

"Ladies, we are here on a mission," Annie explains. She and Jubilee plop the two girls on the edge of the bed in front of me. "Gwen is very, very sad tonight, because-" I can tell she's about to say something nasty about Rhys, but before I can keep her from doing so, Jubilee comes to the rescue.

"Because _someone_ has been super-duper mean to her," she interrupts. "So we, her loving and loyal little sisters, are going to give her hugs and snuggles as we watch Mean Girls and eat sweets until we burst!"

"Gwen, is that okay with you?" Of course it's Lucy who wants to be responsible and check.

I sigh and take a long look at each of my sisters. First Annie. God, her sass drives me crazy sometimes, and her temper is occasionally too much to handle. But what I see most in her is her protective streak. She'd destroy the world for us if she had to. Jubilee's standing right next to her, and even though they're identical in looks, with the same brown hair a bit lighter than mine and bright blue eyes, Jubilee's personality isn't quite the same. She's the funny, crazy one, the one who dances around and makes silly faces. She's wild and wacky and nearly impossible to calm down, but when she is calm, she's one of the kindest, most caring people I've ever met, and always has my back when I'm too tired to deal with the little ones. And then there's Lucy. She looks significantly different from the rest of us, with lighter brown hair and brown eyes. She's the quiet, shy, nerdy one, with her cute little nose always in a book, and sometimes she gets picked on for that. But she's brave, sticks it out, and isn't afraid to ask for help when she needs it. And she's by far the most responsible of the four. It's very cute sometimes, watching her tell the twins and Ellie to stop mucking around, and the best part is, they actually _listen_ to her. I'm sure that if I were to say no to Mean Girls and sweets, she'd make sure that it wouldn't happen.

"Can we, Gwen? Pleeeeeeaaaaase?" My littlest sister's voice brings my attention to her. She looks _exactly_ like me, almost creepily so. People always think that the pictures of me when I was her age are of her, and vice versa. And it is a truth universally acknowledged that she's pretty much the most adorable seven-year-old on the planet. Unfortunately, Ellie's aware of her cuteness, and has no problem using that to her advantage. She can pretty much get anyone to do anything for her. "Please, Gwen?" She climbs into my lap and hugs me, looking up at me with pleading sparkly green eyes, the ones to which I'm _always _immune. _Always_.

"Oh, fine," I sigh. So much for _always_.

* * *

><p><em>1:30 am: Tosh's POV<em>

I lie awake in my sleeping bag, unable to sleep thanks to the thunderstorm outside. Every now and then, I manage to doze off for a few minutes, but then I hear another thunderclap and am scared awake. Usually, when there's a thunderstorm, I listen to music in order to drown it out, but I forgot to bring my headphones and I don't want to wake the others by playing music at 1:30 in the morning. I close my eyes, trying to block out the sound, but it's no use. I can feel the panic coming on, and within a few seconds the tears start falling. Here we go.

Suddenly, a hand brushes the hair from my face. My eyes fly open to see Owen, looking down at me with concern. "You alright?" he asks. He's no stranger to my storm-phobia.

"No," I whisper. "Not even a little bit."

"Didn't think so. Come on." He helps me out of the sleeping bag and brings me over to the couch. I collapse down, burying my head in my hands, and before I can even realize what's going on, he's holding me against his chest and rubbing my back. I can hear his heartbeat in my ear, and while it's nowhere near as loud as the storm outside, it's enough, more than enough. "I've got you," he murmurs. "You're safe, I promise." I lock my arms around him, squeezing as close as I can. "Don't suffocate me," he teases. And that's when I realize _Owen is freaking holding me_. "Okay, well, you can if you want. But, before you do, there's something I don't quite get."

"What?" I ask nervously, looking up at him.

"I don't see how you could _possibly _be crying right now," he says. "Not when I'm about to do this." It's only after his lips are locked on mine that I realize what he meant.

Holy shit, he's a good kisser. Makes sense, really; he's the class player and has probably kissed everyone else in the class at least twice. At least. And it's over far, far too soon.

He tucks a bit of hair behind my ear and leans in closer. "Remember when we were kids, and you asked me to be your boyfriend, and I said, 'someday?'" I nod, temporarily rendered speechless. "Someday has come, Tosh… assuming that's okay with you."

I want to say _of course it's okay _but I just can't; my tongue is completely tied. All I can do is nod weakly again.

"Thought so," he whispers, and he presses his lips to mine again.

* * *

><p><em>A few moments later - Owen's POV<em>

We break apart and Tosh collapses into my arms, panting to recover the air she's lost. "Careful, love," I tease. "Breathe too loud and you'll wake the others."

She looks up at me. "Did you mean that?" she asks. "Do you… do you love me?"

Damn it, I hadn't even realized I'd said that out loud. Well, I suppose I can't go back now. "Oh, Tosh," I murmur, burying my face in her hair. "You have no idea."

"I love you too," she whispers, and this time she's the one to kiss me. It's soft and gentle and I can tell somehow that she wants it to stay that way. A few seconds later, she pulls away, and the first thing I can see is the exhaustion on her face.

"Tired?" I ask her gently, knowing she'll say yes but asking anyway. She starts to reply, but before she can say a word her mouth splits into a gaping yawn. "I suppose that means yes," I grin. "It's late; we should probably get some sleep."

"Owen?" she asks nervously.

"Yeah?" I smile at her, hoping to alleviate the clear anxiety.

"Can we… just stay here? On the couch?"

The sweet little hopeful expression on her face is enough to get me to laugh. "I was hoping you'd ask." I lie back on the couch and she settles into my arms, her back up against the back of the couch and her head resting partly on my arm and partly on my chest. And then I notice something. "It's still storming out," I remark. "Aren't you afraid?"

"Why would I be?" she mumbles sleepily. "I… have you… to protect me…" And with that, she falls asleep.

I chuckle softly. "That's right, sweetheart," I whisper into her hair, and then I fall asleep myself.

* * *

><p><em>9:30 am: Jack's POV<em>

I wake up to the sound of quiet giggling. "What's going on?" I ask, rubbing my eyes.

"Shhh!" Ianto puts a finger on his lips. "Look." He points over to the couch, where Martha is staring at Tosh and Owen, curled up together. "It's high time that happened."

"Indeed," I whisper back.

"I think they're waking up," Martha whispers. "Everyone pretend to be asleep." We all lie down, silently listening to what's going on.

Tosh's eyes flutter open. "Huh-what?" She looks up and realizes that she's lying on the couch and snuggled up against Owen. "Oh…"

"Hey," Owen whispers, opening his eyes. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah… still tired." She yawns.

Owen looks around the room. We all close our eyes as quickly as we can. "Looks like everyone else is still asleep," he says, clearly having bought our act. "Go on back to sleep."

"Love you," she mumbles as she falls asleep again.

"Love you too." Owen kisses her hair lightly and closes his eyes. A few moments later, they open again. "I know you're watching, you three. Mind your own business."

Just then, Martha's phone goes off. "Text from Gwen: _High time that happened! Shame that I missed it._"

"YOU SENT HER A PICTURE?!" Owen shouts. Tosh's eyes open. "Fuck, sorry. Go back to sleep."

"I didn't send her a picture," Martha laughs.

"Oh… then why did she text you that?" Owen looks at her confusedly.

"I sent her a _video_," Martha explains. "Sorry-not-sorry!"

"Hate you," Owen mutters.

"So, are you official yet?" I ask.

"Um…" Owen starts. "Um…"

"Yes!" Tosh interrupts. "Now _shut up and let me sleep_!"

"I don't think that's going to happen."

"Holy shit-_Gwen_?" I turn to see that Martha has FaceTimed Gwen and she is looking on with amusement.

"Hey," Gwen grins, waving. "Did you guys have fun last night?"

"Yeah, it was pretty fun," I reply. "Wish you could've come, though."

"Yeah… But I had fun too. My sisters and I watched Mean Girls and ate sweets. Not my idea, for the record. That was the twins' doing."

"It was awesome, though!" a girl's voice shouts in the background.

"That's Jubilee," Gwen explains. "Yes, it was awesome. Alright, I should go; I promised these nutters I'd make them pancakes. See you all at school tomorrow!" She hangs up.

"Fucking RFW," I mutter. "Well, at least her sisters were able to cheer her up."

"Gwen's sisters are great," Martha agrees. "They _adore _her with all they have. Kinda like _someone _I know," she teases, nudging me.

"Well, I do!" I cross my arms over my chest. "What's wrong with that?"

"Absolutely nothing," Ianto reassures me. "And she will come around someday. I promise." He sighs. "Martha, tell me that that video is on Instagram."

"Ten likes already," she smirks. "And counting."

"Fuck you," Owen says with a scowl, but five seconds later, he's laughing too.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! Super-long chapter if ever there was one, no? But I think it was worth it - I mean, emotionally scarring backstory, a bit more on Gwen and her sisters, and, most importantly, TOSH AND OWEN ARE TOGETHER! I was originally going to wait a bit before doing that last bit, but then I had the idea of doing it during the sleepover and couldn't shake it.<strong>

**In other news: I am considering moving What the Fluff to another account. If that does happen, I will be sure to let you all know!**

**And, as always, love and ducks to TLS, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all!**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	8. The Music Room

**Chapter Eight: The Music Room**

_Jack's POV_

I wander up and down the halls, looking for something to do. I haven't actually spent much time around the school, as a matter of fact, because I don't have many free blocks. But today I have a few.

_Maybe I can go into the art studio_, I think, but when I pass it, I see that Silvia's teaching a class. I sigh, thinking there's nothing, but then I pass a door I haven't seen before. There's a window on the top of the door, and the room's completely empty.

"What's this place?" I ask myself. I walk in and see a whole collection of instruments. Guitars, violins, drums… and a piano.

Jackpot.

I close the door behind me and open the top of the piano. "Let's see," I mutter. "Are you in tune?" I play a C. "Looks like it. Now… what to play…" I think for a few minutes and then decide on Best Day Of My Life, by American Authors. Yes, I'm a fan of "crappy pop music." I like other stuff, too, but I happen to love playing this one. It takes a few bars to get used to the piano, as it's old and the keys stick, but by the time I reach the chorus, I've gotten the hang of it. Now for the challenging part: singing along. Let's see if I can do this. I've already played the first chorus; might as well do verse two.

"_I howled at the moon with friends, and then the sun came crashing in, wo-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-oh. But all the possibilities, no limits, just epiphanies, wo-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-oh. I'm never gonna look back, whoa, I'm never gonna give it up, no, just don't wake me now…"_

"You're good." I turn to see that Gwen's standing next to me.

"Oh-Hi," I stutter. "Didn't know you had a free this block."

"I don't usually," she explains. "But my French teacher is out sick. Hey, wanna try something?"

"Um… yeah, what is it?" I look at her curiously.

"Play it again, but let me sing. I'm going to do something a bit weird, but don't stop playing, okay?"

I start the song again, and, right on cue, she begins singing. But when it's time for the chorus, she doesn't sing the chorus, instead singing the chorus to a completely different song. "_It's time to begin, isn't it? I get a little bit bigger but then I'll admit I'm just the same as I was_…" I'm confused at first, but keep playing. And then I realize: it's a mashup with It's Time, by Imagine Dragons. And a really good one at that.

_Two can play at this game_, I think, and when she sings "_Now don't you understand, I'm never changing who I am_," I sing a harmony. She grins broadly, and then gives me a look like, _Your turn_. Time to take her start and run. "_So this is where you fell, and I am left to sell. The path to heaven runs through miles of clouded hell right to the top, don't look back. Turning to rags and giving the commodities a rain-check."_

And, just as I sing "_rain-check_," she starts with the prechorus: "_I'm never gonna look back, whoa; I'm never gonna give it up, no, just don't wake me now_." I nod at her, letting her take the chorus, and she chooses Best Day Of My Life: "_Oo-o-o-o-oo, this is gonna be the best day of my life, my li-i-i-i-i-i-i-ife. Oo-o-o-o-oo, this is gonna be the best day of my life, my li-i-i-i-i-i-i-ife._" I harmonize the second _life_ with her each time.

As I play the four bars in between the chorus and the bridge, I nod at her again, pretty sure she's going to continue with Best Day Of My Life, and, sure enough, she does. I let her take the first bar on her own, but then, on "_outside my window_," I harmonize, and we sing "_I feel it in my soul_" in unison, harmonizing on the echo of _soul_. We repeat the pattern on the second part of the bridge, and then eight bars until the next chorus.

"Do It's Time," I whisper to her as I play them. She nods, and when it's time for the chorus, she sings that of It's Time, while I take Best Day Of My Life. And it sounds fucking _awesome_.

She finishes her chorus before I do, so she starts the end of the song: "_This is gonna be, this is gonna be, this has gotta be the best day of my life_."

"_Everything is looking up, everybody up now_," we sing together, and then I take the second half of the end: "_This is gonna be the best day of my life, my li-i-i-i-i-i-i-fe_." And, to my pleasant surprise, she sings the harmony I came up with earlier as we finish. I play the final chord and then drop my very tired hands.

"That was awesome!" she exclaims. "And it was just a total improvisation."

"I'm pretty proud of us, yeah," I grin.

"Can you play anything else?" she asks.

"I can, but my hands are falling asleep. Do you play?" She nods, so I get up off of the bench and let her sit.

"Hmm… I know Pompeii," she suggests.

"Perfect," I grin. "Go for it."

* * *

><p><em>Ianto's POV<em>

I pass by the music room to see Gwen and Jack rocking out with the piano.

"Aren't you two cute," I chuckle, and I take a picture and send it to the Rhysistance.

_To Group: *Picture*_

_To Group: Not sure which is cuter, this ^^ or the little show on the couch at Jack's last night._

Almost immediately, I get a text back from Annie.

_From Cooper, Annie: What show? Did we miss something?_

_To Group: Check Martha's Instagram._

_From Cooper, Jubilee: You haven't seen it yet?! OMG it's awesome! :) :) :)_

_From Cooper, Annie: Holy. Crap. The. Bed. I didn't even know they were together!_

_From Jones, Martha: Well, they're together. Very, very much together._

_From Sato, Toshiko: Oi. This is so not the intended use of the Rhysistance group text thingie._

_From Harper, Owen: Yeah! What she said!_

_To Group: Thou dost protest too much. Also, loving the technical term there, Tosh. The eloquence is absolutely impeccable._

_From Sato, Toshiko: Assholes. Gotta go._

I put my phone away and look up to see that Gwen and Jack are still having the time of their lives in there. _One step closer_, I think to myself. _One step closer_.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! Here's chapter eight! Has anyone noticed the different ways I've styled the text messages depending on the POV in use? If not, ah well.<strong>

**Important news: What the Fluff has been moved to its own account, What the Fluff Project, which can be found in my Favorite Authors list. Please make sure to FOLLOW the project author if you want to be kept updated on the project's progress, as the various stories are being posted separately. And, of course, if you're interested in writing or have a prompt idea, send it to whatthefluffproject !**

**And, as always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all!**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


	9. Sketchbook(s)

**Hey folks! So, this one takes place about three to four weeks after the last one, at some point in early December. See you at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Sketchbook(s)<strong>

_Jack's POV_

It takes all the self control I have to not run into the art studio. Silvia emailed us last night to say she wouldn't be in school today thanks to the cold or flu or something that's running around our school - it's only a matter of time before I get it, ugh - but that we can be in the studio on our own if we want, or just have a free block. I've wanted some free drawing time for ages, so being granted express permission to have just that is awesome.

Ianto's already there when I walk through the door, as are a few of the others in the class. "Surprised you didn't go to the music room," he murmurs as I sit down. "You-know-who has a free block right now, and I've been seeing her in there almost all the time since that frankly adorable impromptu jam session.

"I've wanted to have some free drawing time for ages," I explain, and I pull my sketchbook out of my backpack. Ianto smirks at me. "What?"

"It's green," he chuckles. "That sketchbook is green."

"Um, yeah? So?"

"I've seen your sketchbook before, and it's black and a bit beat-up. This one's green and brand-new."

"So? I got a new one." I glare at him.

"Your last one was only half-used," he says with a slight grin. "Why would you get a new sketchbook if your other one isn't even fully used? Sketchbooks are expensive. This new one has a special purpose, doesn't it? Something recent's come up that you want to draw a lot, so you got a whole new sketchbook for it. Pretty important, if you're willing to spend that kind of money." He picks up the sketchbook and flips open the first page to reveal a sketch of Gwen. "Awww, so sweet."

"Shut _up_," I mutter, taking the sketchbook back from him.

"Well, now I know why you want a free drawing block," he points out. "Carry on."

"You're a pain in the ass," I sigh, and I close my eyes, calling forth an image. I hardly have to try these days, since she's pretty much always in the forefront of my mind, but I still make a point of getting every detail correct: the way her hair sort of curls up when it hits her shoulder, the green of her eyes, the smile etched on her face…

Hold on… _the green of her eyes_.

_Green_.

That's a _color_.

I can see her eyes in _color_.

_I can see her eyes in color._

_Can I see the rest of her in color? _I ask myself, and almost as soon as I do, there she is, in full color, every detail just as perfect as they are in black and white.

I try to pull forward a colored image of my mom, but that doesn't work. I can only see her in black and white. I try Ianto, Tosh, Owen, and Martha - nothing. And then I try Gwen again, and the color just… happens.

"Holy shit," I whisper to myself. "Isn't that something?"

"What?" Ianto asks. I get up from the table and get a set of colored pencils. "Colored pencils? You use colored pencils? Since when?"

I grin at him. "Since Gwen." And I begin drawing. The colored pencils take some serious getting used to, as they don't really erase and they're tricky to blend.

"Wow," Ianto remarks as I finish the fifth try. "I had no idea you could do image recall in color."

"I can't," I explain. "Not usually. She's an exception."

"Ooooooof course she is," Ianto says, rolling his eyes. "So, are you going to get an extra special set of colored pencils just for this purpose, too?"

"Yeah, I just might!" I glare at him again and return to my sketching. Take six… no, that pencil's too dark. Take seven… no, too light. Take eight… wait, that's _purple_? Thought it was black! Gwen with purple hair… interesting. Anyway, take nine… there, that's black, but crap, I just made her hair too long. Take ten… yes! Perfect. Absolutely, positively… and then I draw a big black line over her face.

"Fuck," I mutter, and then the bell rings.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everybody! Here's chapter nine! I've wanted to write this one for a really long time. Hope you guys liked it, even though it's so short! Hopefully the next one will be longer, but I never really know.<strong>

**In other news, remember to check out the What the Fluff Project on its very own shiny new account of the same name! You can find said shiny new account in my Favorite Authors list. Details for prompting and, better yet, **_**offering to write**_**, are all listed there. Now that the account is nearly a week old, I'll be able to post the old stories from my account a lot faster, so Rainbow Glitter, Angel, Once Always, and all of the other ones already written will be up soon!**

**And, as always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all!**

**Love,**

**Ofelia**


	10. The Snowball Effect

**Chapter Ten: The Snowball Effect**

_Gwen's POV_

I look up from my chemistry textbook, not sure how much more I can take. It's December 12th, the last school day before our midterm exams, and I have done absolutely nothing but study for the past week and a half. If it weren't for the fact that I'm in the library with everyone else, I'd be screaming. It's just too damn much.

In my peripheral vision, I can see snow covering the field outside, at least six inches if not more. God, I want to be out in the snow so badly. Lucy and Ellie are probably playing in the backyard right now, still at the age where the hardest and scariest academic challenges are long division and spelling tests. _The worst thing about midterms_, I decide_, is that I hardly get to spend any time with my sisters_.

"Alright, I've had it." I turn to see Jack, closing his binder with finality. "We've been working nonstop for the past two weeks. It's high time we catch a break. I'm going outside, and if you guys don't come with me willingly, I swear to God I will drag every single one of your asses out the front door."

I sigh in relief. "No need to drag me," I grin. "I'm in." I can feel Rhys's scowl from next to me. "And so's Rhys."

"Who says?!" he nearly yells.

"Didn't you listen?" I retort, looking over my shoulder at him. "If you don't come, _Jack drags your ass out the door_."

"Fine," he mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. The others practically turn purple trying to keep from laughing.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say we're in," Ianto interjects, motioning to himself, Tosh, Owen, and Martha. "Scratch that. I _know _I speak for all of us."

"Great!" Jack grins broadly. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

* * *

><p>I try as hard as I can not to running out into the snow screaming like a little kid. Snow's my favorite kind of weather, by a long shot. Always has been.<p>

Screw it. I take off as fast as I can, the wind blowing directly into my face. It almost feels like flying. _I could do this forever_, I think, and then I trip and fall flat on my face.

"Such grace," Rhys says snarkily from overhead. Clearly he's pissed about being out here. He holds out a hand to help me up. I don't take it, instead getting up myself.

"Oh, you can talk." Owen walks over, Tosh just behind him.

"Hypocrite much?" she whispers in his ear.

"Shut up," he mutters. She responds by picking up a handful of snow and chucking it at him. "Oi! I'm getting you for that!" He scoops up a bit of snow and prepares to throw it, but before he can, she takes off. A few moments later, they're having a one-on-one snowball fight.

I count down from three, and, sure enough, Ianto and Martha are joining in, helping Owen and Tosh respectively, before I hit zero. They can never resist a snowball fight.

"Guys versus girls?" Jack suggests.

"Oh, it's on," I grin, and we head over to them. It's only after I've thrown my first snowball directly into Ianto's face that I realize Rhys is still standing a few feet away, clearly unamused by all of this. "Come on!" I shout to him. "These guys are going to get creamed unless you help them out!"

"Not likely!" Jack shouts back. I just manage to dodge the snowball he chucks at me for that one. "Come on, it's fun." Rhys turns and storms off.

"I swear," Tosh murmurs in my ear, "if he calls it quits over this-"

"-Don't finish that," I interrupt. "I'm having a good day."

"Exactly," she mutters. "Heads up!" I look up to see a snowball headed directly towards my face.

"Shit!" I try to duck, but it's too late.

"You were saying?" Owen asks. "Something about our getting creamed?"

"You don't stand a chance, klutz," I call back.

"I'm not a klutz!" Owen argues. "Tosh, tell her!"

"Gwen," Tosh starts. I know where this is going. "I have no idea what the hell he's talking about."

"Um, hello!" Martha shouts over our exchange. "Am I the only one still playing?" Ianto whips a snowball at her. "Okay, apparently not. Am I the only _girl _still playing?"

"No," I reply. I turn to look at the boys, and the next thing I know, Jack's throwing a piece of snow the size of a dodgeball right at me. Trouble is, it's too heavy, and it falls to the ground before it hits me. "Nice," I laugh. I scoop up a bit of the giant snowball and chuck it at him. It hits him perfectly in the chest. "That's what you get for showing off." I get another one ready.

"Oh, you think _that _was showing off?" he asks. I chuck the snowball and he literally punches through it. "_This _is showing off." He smirks at me, and all of a sudden I feel my face turning red. "You alright?" he asks.

"Yeah… just cold…" At this, I feel myself blushing yet further.

"Alright, let's call it off," he says loudly. Everyone stops and turns to look at us. "That was fun. We'll have to do it again. But for now-" he points at me "-_you _have to get home and warm up so you can start round two of snowy shenanigans. I have a feeling your sisters would kill me if they found out we stole all of your energy from playing with them. Not that they'd need to, either - they matter a hell of a lot more than we do."

At the mention of my sisters, I remember something that the twins had suggested to me. I'd brushed it off before, because it's a crazy idea and could very likely do more harm than good, but for some reason it seems like a much better idea right now.

Jack's still talking. "And you two-" he points at Owen and Tosh "-have to get home to foster your budding PDA addiction." They shout protests, but Jack talks right over them. "Ianto and Martha, I don't care what the hell you do, but you should probably get home anyway, but I have to get home because my mom's starting to miss me. I'll see you guys on Monday!" He turns and begins walking away.

Fuck it, I'm going for it. "Jack!" I call after him, running to catch up.

"What's up?"

I take a breath. _Here we go. _"Are you free Christmas Eve?" I ask nervously.

He nods. "Yeah, actually. Mom's been invited to some work party thing, and I can't go. Why?"

"Every year, I have a party on Christmas Eve. Just a little one, with them-" I motion to the group behind us "-and Rhys and my sisters. I was wondering… do you want to come too?"

His face breaks into a grin, but then falls quickly. "Gwen, I'd love to, but is that really a good idea? I mean…" He trails off, but we both know what he's thinking. And it's the exact reason I wasn't planning on inviting him. A few months ago, I'd never have done it. I'd have told the twins they were crazy and absolutely not. But ever since that sleepover, things have felt a little different.

And they've been getting along better…

"I'll deal with it," I decide. "Any problems, I'll deal with it." _Or the twins will_, I think. "I'm… sort of sick of… that."

"I'm in," he grins.

Just then, I remember something. "Right, I forgot. It's a pajama party. Specifically, a cheesy Christmas pajama party. Wear your cheesiest."

"How do you know I have cheesy Christmas pajamas?" he asks.

Let's see, how to prove this cleverly… "Well, you're much cheesier than Owen, and he has cheesy Christmas pajamas, so you have to have them. Logic."

He laughs. "Can't argue with logic. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Bye!" I call, and I run towards my car. It's only once I've started it that I realized that I had made a point of being clever…

* * *

><p><em>Jack's POV<em>

"Do you know what I think just happened?" I turn to see Ianto, a slight smile of amusement on his face. He isn't really one for large expressions of emotions, I decide.

I look at him confusedly. "She invited me to her party…?"

"Well, yeah, that," he nods. "But do you know what _else _I think just happened?"

Owen, Tosh, and Martha are running to catch up with us. "What's going on?" Martha asks.

Now he grins for real. "I think that Gwen Cooper just grew a pair of snowballs."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey everyone! So, what's going on with Gwen, eh? :) Also, sorry about that last sentence. I couldn't help myself there.<strong>

**I'm pretty excited for the next chapter, which will be all about this Christmas party, but, because it's not Christmas for another month and then some (sigh), I'm not going to start working on that one quite yet. Instead, I'm going to focus on TFTH, Flame (which I've been neglecting for **_**far**_ **too long), and, of course, WHAT THE FLUFF!**

**Speaking of What the Fluff, make sure to go to my Favorite Authors list to find the new What the Fluff account (it's called - big surprise here - "What the Fluff Project"), and follow it to get all of the latest fluffy updates! (Because all of the stories are posted separately, following the account is the only way to be kept up to date with everything.) Details regarding writing and/or prompting for WTF, as well as all of the WTF internet accounts (which really aren't being maintained but ah well), are on the profile.**

**In other news: I might start a vlog series called LiaTalks! If this does happen, I'll be sure to let y'alls know!**

**And, as always, love and ducks to the Lone Shippers, hugs to supporters, thanks to Eleonora, Noe, Hanul, and Kizzie, and cookies for all.**

**Love,**

**Ofelia xxxx**


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